A balancing act: Japan's relations with China, Taiwan

ON the second day of the new year, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech in which he called for the fulfilment of the "historic task" of reunifying Taiwan and the mainland, by force if necessary. Days later, Taiwan's president appealed to the international community for help.

The situation is dire. In mid-January, the Pentagon released a report, China Military Power, whose "most concerning" conclusion, according to a senior defence intelligence official, was that Beijing might soon trust its military capabilities enough to invade Taiwan.

Taiwan's friends in America have proposed that President Tsai Ing-wen be invited to address a joint…